Kaushal Wadhwani ’12
Education: MS Management Information Systems Internship: Professional: Capital One; Richmond, VA Capital One; Washington D.C. |
|
|
Why did you pursue a master’s degree? My initial desire to pursue the degree came from my peers. I decided to do it because everyone was doing it. But the more I continued towards studying my need and the results of earning a master’s degree, the more I learned about the many opportunities it afforded me. The biggest decision maker was when I understood that not only would I get to learn about multiple very closely interrelated concentrations but also earn a choice to make my career out of one of them. What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master’s degree? Know that if you have a deeper understanding of multiple functions of an ecosystem, it has the potential to not only put the spotlight on you in front of multiple other candidates but also provide you with considerable bargaining power in negotiations. Also, take the time to consider your decision to pursue it and make sure you know what you are looking to get out of it. It doesn’t matter whether you are considering the degree right after undergrad or after several years of professional work experience. If you have doubts or questions, consider talking to your advisers. A master’s degree is a considerable investment of valuable resources and it is vital that you are absolutely sure about the field you choose and the necessary effort that you’ll have to put into it. What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your master’s degree? Time was the biggest challenge for me. Learning so many different disciplines and running from one class to another took some time to get used to. Sometimes, these time limitations were the decision makers in choosing which project I would concentrate on and which project would not recruit my best effort. The two years were definitely hard but looking back, I can confidently say that these time limitations actually prepared me for the real world – those times now give me a reference point when I have to choose between competing priorities. What was the biggest reward for earning the master’s degree? The biggest reward that came with earning my Master’s degree was the option to choose the discipline I wanted to target within the larger Information Systems industry. My degree awarded me with the knowledge of not just generic information of the various disciplines concerned but allowed me to see a bird’s eye representation of what I’ll actually work on. After a thorough review of my choices and abilities, I decided to pursue the functions of a Business Systems Analyst, which allows me to maintain my focus on the detail while not losing sight of the vision. Why did you choose Texas A&M for your graduate work? The biggest reason was the school’s reputation and the history of students being able to get an opportunity that strongly justified the hard work and dedication that was put into the graduate work. After thoroughly considering my options and speaking to various knowledgeable people, the decision to arrive at Aggieland wasn’t hard to make. A subsequent reason was the prospect of supplementing my studies with part-time work that allowed me to lower the financial burden on my shoulders. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to become an Aggie. |
|